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"They [Estoril] are having meetings with the government," explained Dorna CEO Carmelo Ezpeleta at the time. "The Portuguese Grand Prix, like many others, is supported by the government. So the government will make the decision about whether they want to continue."

Although the decision for 2012 proved positive, with the global financial crisis still gripping the Iberian Peninsula, Estoril and at least one of the four Spanish venues look set to make way for new overseas events.

New tracks in Argentina and Texas are due to join the MotoGP calendar in 2013, while India is also expected to debut in the near future.

The first MotoGP race was held at Estoril in 2000 but the track has never settled on the calendar, shifting from the beginning to the end of the season several times.

Nevertheless, the 2006 Portuguese Grand Prix is considered one of the most dramatic of the four-stroke 'MotoGP' era.